


Aldeburgh Beach

by missdibley



Series: The Red Nose Diaries [108]
Category: British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: AU of an AU, Aldeburgh, Drabble, F/M, Ficlet, Fluff, red nose diaries, suffolk - Freeform, the red nose diaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-12 12:11:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18010682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missdibley/pseuds/missdibley
Summary: 18 year old Tom and 20 year old Carman walking on a beach. Follow-up toThe Natural History MuseumandGino's East.





	Aldeburgh Beach

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Gino's East](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17843099) by [missdibley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/missdibley/pseuds/missdibley). 



They had been walking along the rocky beach, side by side, for about fifteen minutes when Tom, feeling emboldened by the moonlight, reached over and took Carmen’s hand in his.

When he did, she stopped. She didn’t let go but she did stop walking along. Anchoring Tom while he thought he could move on, walk along, without acknowledging what he had just done.

Carmen studied their clasped hands, as if she had never seen them before. She looked up at him, her eyes forever dark and perpetually searching. Her lips twitched into the tiniest of smiles.

“What’s this?” She whispered.

“I…” Tom frowned. He wasn’t suave enough to have a clever reply. “Have you never held hands before?”

“Of course I have,” replied Carmen with a laugh. “But you’ve never held my hand before.”

“I’m so sorry, I…” Tom said, panicking.

“What took you so fucking long?” Carmen’s tiny smile had widened into a full smirk.

Tom snorted. He laughed. He felt the heavy knot in his stomach ascend and become smaller until it felt like a flurry of bubbles popping in his chest.

“You and your mother only got here yesterday,” Tom explained, pulling her along so they could continue their walk.

“What about the fifteen years before that?” Carmen retorted, glancing up at him.

“Well, given that we were still in nursery when we met, I think we had to grow up first.”

“But you’ve liked me all this time, right?”

“I… well…” Tom sighed. “Yes.”

“You’ve been in  _ like _ with me since you were three and I was five.” Carmen declared.

Tom frowned. “That’s not quite it.”

“So what is it then?” Carmen asked, all of a sudden breathless.

And then they came to a proper stop. Tom kept her hand in his. Pulled her in and wrapped his other arm around her at the shoulder. He studied her, as he always did. In their few meetings over the years. In stolen glances at photographs sent to his sister from Carmen, or to his mother from her mother Pilar. Her face was as it ever was. Round, rosy cheeks. Dark, sparkling eyes. Full lips that seemed more inclined to scowl than to pout, to smirk than to smile. To laugh.

“Daddy says…” Carmen began, then went quiet. “Daddy used to say that you were in love with me.”

And instead of saying something awkward and possibly stupid like “Oh, well, your father, rest his soul, was very wise.” or “Why are you mentioning your dead dad at a time like this,” Tom simply asked “How did he know?”

Carmen’s lips had been on the verge of forming a smile. A lovely smile, in anticipation of Tom’s playful denial or shy admission of his feelings. But when Tom surprised her with his own question, she stilled. Overwhelmed by her feelings, and the truth. Blinking slowly, she recovered and said “The way you looked at me. The way you’re looking at me now.”

“How is that?” Tom whispered.

“Like I’m the only girl on this beach.” She looked over his shoulder. “In the world.”

“Well, aren’t you?” Tom shrugged. “You’ve always been.”

“You’ve had girlfriends, Tom,” Carmen reminded him.

“And you have a boyfriend now,” Tom reminded her.

“You’re starting university in a month.”

“You’re going back to Chicago in a week.”

It was then that Carmen went up slightly on her toes, and tugged on Tom’s hand. Accepting her invitation, he leaned in and pressed his smiling lips to hers.


End file.
